Charlie shrugged as he watched her scamper down the stairs and start waving at a taxi.
“Whatever,” he muttered to himself before taking the elevator up to the sixth floor. He tried Lepage’s doorbell several times, then knocked. As he waited for a response, he pulled out his phone and dialed Lepage’s cell number. He heard nothing on the other side of the door and after a few minutes of standing there, he gave up and decided to swing by Mori Tower before heading back to the embassy.
Ten minutes later, he was sitting in the reception area of Cliff Redford’s office admiring the artwork on the wall, when he heard Redford’s booming voice down the hall.
“Charlie. What brings you by?”
“Hi, Cliff. I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I’d drop by.”
“Is this about Rob?”
“I just went by his place and there’s no sign of him there. You don’t find it odd that he hasn’t checked in with any of us?”
Redford frowned. “Yamaguchi called me in a panic, but I wasn’t too worried about it — you’ve got me wondering now. You say you went by his apartment?” He waved toward the couch at the far end of the reception area and they both took a seat.
Charlie nodded. “I knocked on his door for five minutes — nothing. I also dropped by Nippon Kasuga,” he added, pointing to the floor.
“And?”
“He hasn’t shown up there either. They looked at me like I had three heads when I asked about him.”
Redford shrugged. “Not really surprising, coming from them.”
“You don’t suppose he’s had a setback?”
“You mean with his memory?” Redford shook his head. “Yamaguchi wouldn’t have let him out if he thought that was even a possibility. I’m sure he’s just enjoying being out of hospital. Maybe he’s in bed with the girlfriend,” he added, with a wink. Charlie tried to be upbeat, but he had a bad feeling.
“Seriously, Charlie, you’re worrying too much. Let’s give him to the end of today before we do anything drastic, okay?” Redford patted him on the shoulder.
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Charlie said. “There was something else I wanted to bounce off you, though.”
“Shoot.”
“I’m meeting with the TMP inspector this afternoon. I’m hoping she has something new on Seger, but I was also going to ask her about Kimura’s place of work.”
Redford frowned. “You sure you want to do that? Once you get the cops involved, it’s hard to get them uninvolved, you know what I mean?”
“I just find it strange that she would lie about working at a call centre. To us, and to Rob.”
Redford leaned forward on the couch. “First of all, how do we know Rob isn’t fully aware of her occupation? He might be just going along with her fiction for appearances. Second of all, I’ve told you how things work here in Japan — land of the facade — so I’m hardly surprised that Kimura’s been less than upfront about her real work.”
Charlie considered the counterpoint. It was true that he had no evidence that Lepage wasn’t fully aware — just a feeling. Maybe his feeling was wrong. For all he knew, Lepage might have met her at her Roppongi club. He felt foolish, and somewhat of a prude.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, and I barely know Rob.”
“Your heart’s in the right place, Charlie. You just worry too much. Rob will turn up, I’m sure of it.” Redford stood up and Charlie followed suit.
“Sorry to waste your time like this. And I’m sure you’re right.”
Redford waved off the apology. “No trouble at all. Let’s talk later.”
Charlie returned from the biweekly administrative meeting that he had begun to loathe and sat down at his desk. He was debating getting a coffee from the machine down the hall when his computer made its familiar beep that indicated a new message. He could tell by the format of the message that it was not a standard email, but one sent on the secure system. He logged onto his secure account and opened the message — from the RCMP in Ottawa. The subject line read Michael Seger. He clicked on the attachment and waited for the report to open, though his interest was tempered by the fact that Westwood had already given him the gist of the report in their briefing earlier in the week. As he began to read the report onscreen, he gradually drew himself closer to the screen, so that by the time he was at the bottom of the first page, he was leaning halfway across his desk. The content of the report went further than Westwood had suggested. Not only did Seger have a cousin and an uncle with direct links to organized crime in Montreal and Toronto, Seger himself was suspected to have worked at one point for an underboss whose name was familiar enough that Charlie had read it before in newspaper articles. Seger didn’t have a criminal record, though he had been questioned in connection with a couple of crimes, including the disappearance of a man believed to have been cooperating with an organized crime task force in Montreal. The man had been missing for five years, with his file still open and unsolved. Seger was pulled in because he had been seen in the vicinity of the missing man’s apartment building just before he had vanished, but he had been released for lack of evidence.
The report also detailed Seger’s travels in the past two years, which included several trips to Hong Kong in the last twelve months, but none during the time period for when he had told Charlie he had been in touch with Rob Lepage. In fact, the only activity on his passport in the last six months was a trip to Beijing for a week in late June, which confirmed that he had been lying about the Hong Kong trip. The report went on to surmise that if he was directly involved in illegal activity, he had done a good job of concealing it. But his travel patterns, and the people he tended to associate with, suggested that he was likely involved in white collar crime, if anything. Online scams and securities fraud were the most likely possibilities.
Charlie finished reading the report, noting the name of the investigator, as well as the fact that it had been sent to the head of mission, copied to Denault and himself. He sat back in his chair, pondering the content of the report for a while, then glanced at his watch and realized he would have to leave soon for his appointment with Kobayashi. He stared at the screen for a moment, then composed a reply to the sender of the report, asking for a call at ten p.m. Tokyo time on a secure line to discuss some follow-up questions. The contents of the report were rattling around in his mind as he gathered his things and made for the door.
Twenty minutes later, he was waiting in the corner of the coffee shop, his eye on the door as he surveyed the rest of the patrons. Given the location, he imagined most of them were either lawyers or cops. As with everywhere in this part of the city, most of the clientele was male, and most were wearing what seemed to be the standard-issue dark suit, white shirt, and monochrome tie. He wondered what would happen if someone wore a bright red tie with polka dots — a day of strange looks, some merciless ribbing, or a reprimand from a superior? He was still musing about the uniformity of Tokyo office fashion when he saw Kobayashi walk through the door. He realized she was actually the only woman in the place, apart from the staff, and while her own jacket and pants were of charcoal grey, she wore a colourful scarf and matching hair clip that made her stand out all the more. He made eye contact and watched as her face lit up with recognition as she made her way over to where he was sitting.
“Hello, Charlie. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“You’re not late at all,” he said, happy that she was finally using his first name. He got up and pulled out a chair for her.
“I’m very glad you called,” she said. “I just got some news that I wanted to share.”
Charlie settled in his seat, sensing that the meeting was about to become more productive than he had originally thought, but he could tell by her expression that he had misread the statement — the news wasn’t good.
“My supervisor has confirmed that there will be no further investigation into Mr. Seger’s death.”
“Really?
I thought they were leaning toward his death being a homicide.”
“I’m afraid my supervisor doesn’t feel there is enough evidence of … foul play. Accidental death is an equally possible explanation, in his opinion,” she added, with an undeniable expression of distaste. Charlie pictured the discussion between Kobayashi and her superior — probably an old-school guy in his late fifties who wondered how he had gotten himself stuck with a woman investigator. He imagined Kobayashi taking the news, perhaps with a bit of restrained objection, but with little hope of swaying her boss at all. “I’m very sorry, Charlie. I know this must be disappointing news.”
“I know you did your best,” he said, glancing toward the counter. “Can I get you a coffee?”
She nodded and reached for her purse, which he waved off. A few minutes later, he returned with a couple of cappuccinos.
“So is that it, then? I mean, I assume there’s no way to change your boss’s mind?”
She took a sip of the coffee and shook her head. “Unless there is new evidence that would prove Seger’s death wasn’t accidental.” Charlie didn’t respond for a few seconds, as they eyed each other, an inquisitive look on Kobayashi’s delicate features. “Do you have any new evidence?” she finally asked.
“Possibly.” Charlie took a sip of the steaming froth and savoured the taste for a moment, wondering how much of the report to reveal to her. He would be more comfortable if he had gotten the author’s consent before sharing it with Kobayashi, but he felt he had an opportunity here. “What if I told you I had evidence that Seger was involved in organized crime back in Canada and possibly in Asia?”
She looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “What type of organized crime?”
“The kind that has international connections. Internet scams, securities fraud, that sort of thing.”
Kobayashi considered the news and leaned back in her chair as she played with the rim of her cup. “I find that very interesting. Is there any evidence that Mr. Seger was connected to Mr. Lepage?”
Charlie shook his head. “Not yet.” That was one of the things he intended to flesh out with the author of the RCMP report, but he had a feeling in his gut that the answer was no. “But I have to say, it does make me wonder why Seger was so interested in Lepage’s condition, and trying to get him released into his custody. They must be connected somehow, though Lepage swears he can’t remember anything.”
“There is one possibility,” Kobayashi said. “I did some checking on Aiko Kimura. I told you she wasn’t registered as a call centre operator.”
“Right.”
“I think she may be involved in criminal activity.” She paused for a moment, then reached back to her purse that hung on the back of her chair and pulled out a buff folder, which she set on the table between them. She flipped open the cover and turned it to face him. Charlie looked down at a grainy photo of Kimura, smoking a cigarette and talking to a man whose back was to the camera. “That’s her, don’t you think?”
Charlie looked at the picture up close and there was no mistaking Kimura, even if the quality of the image was less than perfect. He nodded. “That’s her all right. Where did you get this?”
“I talked to a colleague on our organized crime squad. He recognized her from one of his active cases — the investigation of a brothel in Roppongi.”
Charlie pulled out the brochure from Kimura’s club and gave it to Kobayashi. “I don’t suppose it’s this place?”
Kobayashi took the brochure and flipped to a page in the folder and compared the names. “Yes it is. Where did you get this?”
Charlie paused as his mind searched for a suitable lie. But as he sat there, watching Kobayashi’s curious expression, he decided to level with her.
“I followed Kimura … or whatever her real name is, from the hospital a few nights ago.”
Kobayashi’s eyebrows shot up. “Charlie, that was very … unwise.”
He ignored the warning and went on the offensive, instead. “How is it you have all this information on Kimura anyway, given that you’ve decided there’s nothing worthy of a formal investigation?” He regretted the retort immediately. But if Kobayashi was stung by it, it didn’t show.
“You have to be very careful,” she said. “If she is who I suspect she is, Kimura has some very dangerous associates, according to my colleague.”
“You think they might have had something to do with Seger’s death?”
She gave a subtle sigh. “I’m more interested in her connection to Mr. Lepage.”
“You don’t think it’s a coincidence, do you? I mean, within days of meeting Kimura at the hospital, Seger turns up dead.” Kobayashi said nothing, so Charlie took another look at the photo of Kimura. “Do you mind?” He picked it up for a closer look, revealing another photo beneath it. He glanced at the second photo and did a double take.
“Who’s that?” He pointed to one of two men in the second photo. He was facing the camera this time, and with the better quality of the second print his features were unmistakable.
Kobayashi followed his index finger to the picture, then looked quickly around the room before leaning forward across the table and gently taking the photo from his hand, putting it back in the folder, and closing it. “Not here,” she said quietly, not looking at him for a moment, then breaking into a smile. “You should smile,” she added, with an affected enthusiasm. “I think we’re being watched.”
Charlie played along with a casual grin. “You’re going to tell me though, right?” He kept the fake smile plastered to his face.
Kobayashi made a show of putting the file folder back in her purse and checking her watch.
“You remember the temple in Asakusa?”
He nodded.
“I’ll meet you there at eight tonight. I have to leave you now. Look as though everything is normal.”
He nodded and tried to look casual as he watched her go. When he realized that she hadn’t even offered to split the tab for the coffee, he knew something was seriously wrong.
CHAPTER 21
Charlie was only back in his office for a few minutes, trying to figure out what had happened at his meeting with Kobayashi, when his phone rang. He saw the call was from reception.
“There’s a Ms. Elizabeth Farnsworth down here asking to meet with you.”
“I’ll be right down.” His curiosity piqued, he set the receiver back on its cradle and made his way downstairs. Passing through the secure door, he could see Farnsworth beyond the glass, seated on the long and twisting leather couch in the spacious lobby of the embassy. He could tell from her posture that she was nervous.
“Hi, Elizabeth.”
“Hello, Charlie. I’m sorry to just drop in on you like this, but I really must apologize for the other day. You must think me a complete nutter.”
“Not at all.”
“Do you have five minutes? I can explain myself.”
“Of course.” He led her into the multipurpose room, rather than going through the security to get her into the operational part of the embassy. The large room was empty, and he led her to a table and chairs at the far end.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked, as they both settled in their seats. She took a deep breath before starting out.
“I haven’t been completely honest with you,” she began, averting his eyes.
“What do you mean?”
She sighed. “About my relationship with Rob.”
Charlie allowed the silence that followed to continue for a few seconds. But he had a pretty good idea where this was going and he couldn’t resist prompting her to see if he was right. “You said you and Rob had a fling and then remained friends.”
She gave an awkward smile. “It was a bit more than a fling, actually. I’m afraid I rather fell for him, and the feeling was mutual, or so I thought.”
“Aiko Kimura,” Charlie said, prompting a frown from Farnsworth.
“Precisely. I did go to see Rob at the hospital, but she was already the
re. She’s come out of nowhere, and I have to say, it was all a bit of a shock. I’ve never had my heart broken before, Charlie.”
He nodded. One look at Farnsworth was all he needed to conclude she was telling the truth about that, though he couldn’t help imagining that she had broken more than one heart in her time. “So you were embarrassed at being strung along — if that’s what happened — and you were a little off with the details of your relationship with Rob. That’s understandable.”
“Except that something’s wrong.”
“Wrong, how?”
“I don’t know who this Kimura woman is, but I don’t believe her and Charlie really are together. Oh, I know,” she added, with a wave of her hand and a grim chuckle, “that’s what every jilted woman’s supposed to say — It can’t be so. He loves me.… That’s why I’ve kept my mouth shut until now, for fear of becoming a cliché that I’ve always loathed.”
“So, what’s different now?”
“Rob came to see me last night. He seemed … odd.”
“Odd in what way?”
“If I didn’t know him better, I would have said afraid, but Rob’s not afraid of anything. He’s completely fearless.”
“So why would he be afraid now?”
She looked at him, hesitated, then seemed to make up her mind about something. “I think he’s in trouble. He was asking me about the night before the accident … if he had said anything out of the ordinary, or left anything with me, for safekeeping.”
Charlie watched her as she spoke, deciding that she was telling the truth. “And had he?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “No, I don’t even know what he could mean. I just know it has something to do with that Kimura woman.”
“Did he say that?”
“He didn’t have to.”
“But you talked about Kimura. How did he explain her to you?”
“He can’t,” she said, with dramatic wave of both hands. “But then he doesn’t have to, does he? He’s got the perfect excuse — amnesia.”
Remember Tokyo Page 17